Match Report

Max Power's first goal of the season wasn't enough for Tranmere as they suffered a 1-2 home defeat against Swindon Town.

After Power equalised with a left foot shot, Rovers were on top and hit the cross bar twice.

And though Swindon's second came against the run of play, it proved decisive and gave the visitors all three points.

There were three changes to the team that started at Port Vale as Danny Holmes, Ian Goodison and Steve Jennings came in for Junior Brown, Stephen Arthurworrey and Jason Koumas.

Jake Kirby raced past a defender and into the Swindon area on five minutes but Rafael Branco cleared the ball before the winger could shoot.

However, on 11 minutes the visitors took a spectacular lead. Rovers lost possession outside their area from a throw in and the ball fell to Alex Smith 18 yards out who drilled an unstoppable shot in off the crossbar.

But four minutes later Tranmere were level. James Wallace found Liam Ridehalgh with a quickly taken throw in and his left wing cross reached Max Power 15 yards out who put his left foot shot into the top left corner.

Rovers were inches away from taking the lead on 17 minutes. A Power free kick was cleared as far as Wallace who headed back into the area where Ash Taylor controlled with his chest before sending an overhead kick just past the right hand post.

Michael Smith failed to hit the target from an unmarked position when he met Miles Storey's cross on 24 minutes while Wes Foderingham pulled off a fantastic reaction save to keep out Jake Cassidy's close range toe poke from Power's right wing cross six minutes later.

Massimo Luongo fired high over the Tranmere goal following a corner in the 37th minute and five minutes later Rovers captain Wallace had to be substituted, with Gboly Ariyibi coming on from his debut after signing earlier in the day on loan from Leeds.

Taylor headed a Power free kick down and into the arms of Foderingham on 43 minutes and in the final minute of the half a long ball from Taylor went over the Swindon defence to Lowe but his first time shot was well saved by the keeper.

Tranmere started the second half brightly. Another ball over the top from Taylor found Lowe who spotted Foderingham off his line and sent his lob against the bar from 25 yards before Kirby shot inches wide from the rebound.

On 49 minutes Jake Kirby did well to keep the ball in play and find Power who cut in from the left, dummied his way past a defender and curled just past the right hand post from 15 yards.

Power ran on to a Ridehalgh ball into the box on 58 minutes and headed back across goal towards Lowe but Foderingham was quickly off his line to claim the possession and the midfielder let a high ball from Holmes bounce before drilling a shot against the bar from the left side of the area seven minutes later.

However, the visitors regained the lead against the run of play on 67 minutes, with a cross from Storey going over Fon Williams and into the far corner of the net.

Andy Robinson replaced Holmes on 74 minutes as Rovers switched to a three man defence.

A back post header from Lowe from Ridehalgh's cross was blocked on 79 minutes while Tranmere's last change saw James Rowe replace Steve Jennings in midfield.

However, it did little to change Rovers' fortunes in the final minutes of the game.